From sals@rain.orgTue Feb 21 13:06:03 1995
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 07:32:15 -0800 (PST)
From: Sal Schettino <sals@rain.org>
To: sust_ag-mg@twosocks.ces.ncsu.edu
Cc: "sustag-public@wosocks.ces.ncsu.edu"
     <sustag-public@twosocks.ces.ncsu.edu>
Subject: Organic News forwarded

I just have to pass good new on.  Food for thought.

Sal Schettino,Organic Farmer,don't panic eat organic,sals@rain.org
or check out my homepage:            http://www.rain.org/~sals/my.html

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 07:12:12 -0800
From: Sal Schettino <sals@rain.org>
To: sals@rain.org
Subject: d_20+1


          SQUASH INDUSTRY CHECKS OUT ECONOMICS OF ORGANIC PRODUCTION
                                       
   
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   Hastings, Feb 20 - The trend among horticulturists growing produce for
   export to move to organic farming systems has been picked up by the
   squash sector.
   
   
   
   In Hawke's Bay, a 10-hectare block on farmer Tim Logan's property at
   Maraekakaho, is the site of joint research by Agriculture New Zealand,
   Freshco and S C Murphy and Co.
   
   
   
   The Hawke's Bay trial, which is being duplicated at Flock House and in
   Gisborne is being coordinated by Agricultural Research, the pastoral
   science institute, to evaluate weed-control methods and soil fertility
   through organic fertiliser.
   
   
   
   The research is part of a nation-wide programme to investigate the
   risks and benefits of organic produce.
   
   
   
   John Manhire, of Agriculture New Zealand, said there was ``very strong
   demand'' for organic produce, and the programme was trying to increase
   production to satisfy demands.
   
   
   
   Mr Manhire said the premiums for organic crops were substantial.
   
   Organic squash growers were paid 72 cents a kg last year compared with
   the industry average of 43 cents.
   
   
   
   For other organic crops, the premium ranged from 30 percent to 300 per
   cent. Mr Logan has been growing export squash for 13 years -- up until
   last season as a conventional grower using chemicals.
   
   Since switching to organics, he is convinced it is the way to go.
   
   
   
   ``I'm adamant you can grow good crops this way. It's just a matter of
   being one step ahead.'' Forty hectares of the Logans' farms is under
   irrigation and covered by the organic organisation Bio Gro's
   transitional certificate.
   
   
   
   The reasons for his switch to organics were a combination of market
   analysis, crop performance, land situation and ideology.
   
   
   
   Mr Logan's wife, Petra, is German and through visits to Europe, Mr
   Logan said he could see that populated areas had quite a passion for
   produce that was not necessarily ``organic,'' but had less chemicals.
   
   
   
   The German people were probably more conscious of inputs to their food
   production than any other race. The Japanese were the same.
   
   
   
   The piece of land he had turned over to organics was bordered by his
   own land, a neighbour's pine trees and a road, protecting it from
   spray drift, Mr Logan said.
   
   
   
   The change was also prompted by attitudes from overseas buyers, with
   support in the market now at the wholesale level.
   
   
   
   The conventional squash crops he had grown in the past were also
   ``pumped up with nitrogen'' and had no real substance.
   
   
   
   Mr Logan has received a 100 percent premium for his organic squash and
   believes ``all mid-season'' produce should receive at least the 100
   percent premium.
   
   
   
   For this year's crop, the ground was fertilised with 400kg of rock
   phosphate a hectare and 400kg of thermal sulphur a hectare.
   
   
   
   Dried blood was used for the initial side-dressing but the second
   side-dressing was ignored because the plants had already grown too
   large.
   
   
   
   Mr Logan said the immediate difference he noticd was in the eating
   quality of the organic squash and their firmness.
   
   
   
   Mike Slay, from Agricultural Research at Poukawa, is monitoring the
   trials at the Logan property.
   
   
   
   Mr Slay is reviewing the results from four levels -- weed control
   versus no weed control and a comparison between a biological phosphate
   fertiliser and reactive phosphate rock from Quinphos, with both
   fertilisers boosted with feldspar.
   
   
   
   The number and types of weeds would be monitored as well as the
   resulting production.
   
   
   
   A night-time weed control experiment using infra-red equipment to
   steer an inter-row cultivator had to be called off when the driver
   could not see the rows properly.
   
   
   
   Mr Slay said he was ``really delighted'' with the way the crop had
   grown -- free of problems -- but the final values would be determined
   by the harvest.
   
   
   
   NZPA HBN kca 20/02/95 11-49NZ
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